Engine-starter for automobiles.



W. s. GRIGSBY.

ENGINE STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLfOATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911.

Ptented Jul 16, 1912 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

hvcnfo'e W. S. G RIGSBY. I ENGINE STARTER FOR AUTGMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 191;.

1,033,004. Patented July 16, 1912. I

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' mvcmioz- I fitter/116:1;

UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM S. GRIGSIY, OF DENVER, COLORADO ENGINE-STARTER non AU roMoBILn's.

Specification of Iletters Patent. Patented Ji ly 16,1912;

Application filed June 19, 1911. Serial No. 634,148

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. GRIosB'r, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver, State of' my object being to provide a comparatively simple and thoroughly practicable deviceof this character.

I -My improved starter may be employed in connection with any automobile, the mechanism being arranged to be operated by a lever, which may be manipulated either by the hand or by foot. In connection with the lever, which is illustrated in'the drawing and is adapted to be operated by hand, I employ a segmental gear, which meshes with a pinion mounted on one extremity of a shaft, journaled on the framework of the vehicle, and whose opposite extremity 'is equipped with a sprocket wheel, which is connected with a similar wheel journaled on the engine shaft, the hub of the wheel being made fast to a clutch, sleeve, one extremity of which is toothed to engage a cooperating clutch member fast on the engine shaft, while the other extremity is provided with relatively long teeth cooperating with counterpart teeth formed on a tension sleeve applied to the stationary bearing extending beyond the engine sald bearing with sufiicient-tension that it Will not turn thereon during the movement of the sprocket wheel and its clutch sleeve, the movement of the latter on the bearing serving to impart longitudinal movement to the clutch sleeve, whereby the clutch teeth on one extremity thereof are caused to interlock with the clutch member on the engine shaft during the operatic-nv of starting the engine. Afterthe engine is started, the tension sleeve remains stat-io nary,being interlocked with the clutch sleeve of the operat ing sprocket. The segmental gear, which is shaft and clamped to actuated by the operating lever, is provided with a spring-held section so located as to.

engage the pinion during the initial operation of starting the engine, so that, in the event of a kick from the engine, whereby there is a tendency-to rot-ate the segmental gear in a direction opposite the starting direction, the pinion may rotate in engagement with, the yielding section of the segmental gear without moving the gear in the reverse direction and without breaking any of the parts-since the spring-held cogged section of the segmental gear will yield sufficiently to allow the cogs of the pinion to slip thereon.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the ac- "comp'anyi'ng drawing", in which is illustrated anqembodiment thereof. 7 v

.In this drawing: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the front portion of an automobile equipped with my improved engine starting mechanism. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the mechanism shown on a much larger scale. This is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig." 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows. .Fig. 3 is a detail view of the I segmental gear, shown on the same scale as in; Fig.2. F i 4' is a section, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the yielding section of the-gear. Fig. .5 is aqtop plan View of the outer extremity-of the engine shaft together with my improved cooperating clutch sleeve and the operating sprocket. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, the section being taken between the cooperating clutchmembers of the engine shaft and clutch sleeve. Fig. 7 is a view, similar to Fig. 5, but showing the clutch members of the clutch sleeve and engine shaft in cooperative engagement. Fig. 8 is a section, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

The'same reference characters indicate the same parts-in all of the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the framework of an automobile; 6 the engine; and 7 the shaft, whose forward extremity protrudes beyond the fly-wheel 4t for starting purposes, the protruding extremity of the shaft being provided with a toothed clutch member 8 adapted to cooperate with a toothed member 9 formed on a sleeve 10, the-latter being journaled on a hollow hearing 12 secured to a stationary member 13 mounted on 'the frame-work 1 1 of the ma chine. On the opposite extremity of the clutch sleeve 10 from the clutch member- 9, the clutch sleeve is provided with relatively long teeth 14, which interlock with corre-.

the clutch members 8 and 9 into interlocking relation, after which the collar 16 will turn with the sleeve 10 and the engine shaft for the purpose of starting the engine, the sleeve 10 being equipped with a sprocket wheel 17, which is connected by means of a chain 18 with a sprocket wheel 19 formed on one extremity of a shaft 20, the opposite extremity of the said shaft having a beveled pinion 21 adapted to mesh with a segmental gear 22 fast on a. spindle 23, journaled in the framework of the machine, as shown at 24 and 25. This spindle is equippedwith a'crank arm 26, with which is connected one extremity of a coiled spring 27 whose opposite extremity is connected, as shown at 28, with'a stationary member 29 mounted on the frame-work of the machine. The tension of this spring normally holds the segmental gear in such position that the cooperating pinion 21 is in engagement with a section 30 of the gear, which is held in alinement with the stationary cogged portion of the gear by means of springs 31, secured to the adjacent body portion of the gear by screws 32. The object of this spring held gear section is to allow the section to yield in the event that the engine kicks or acts upon its shaft to rotate the latter in a direction opposite the starting direction. In this event, the spring-held section of the segmental gear will yield and allow the teeth of the pinion 21. to slip over them without breaking the mechanism,'

In applying my improved starting mechanism, I do not directly operate the crank shaft 33, the latter passing through the hollow stationary bearing 12 and having pins 34 applied to its inner extremity and adapted to interlock with an inner row of teeth35, formed on the engine shaft, thus making it practicable to crank the engine by hand, if necessary or desirable, the outer extremity of the crank shaft being equipped with the usual crankhandle 36. The crank shaft is normally held in position to disen-' shaft are normally held by the spring 37 in engagement with a shoulder 40, formed on the clutch sleeve 10, whereby the clutch teeth 9 of the sleeve 10 are normally held out of engagement with the corresponding teeth 8 of the engine shaft.

When it is desired to crankthe engine by the use of my improved starting mechanism, a hand lever .41, which is secured to the spin dle 23, is moved rearwardly, actuating the segmental gear 22 rotating the meshing pinion 21 and its shaft 20, whereby rotary movement is imparted to the clutch sleeve 10 through the instrumentality of the sprocket wheels 19 and 17 and the chain 18. This rotary action .of the clutch sleeve 10 in the first instance results in an endwise movement of the clutch sleeve in the direction of'the engine shaft, by virtue of the engagement of the teeth 14: of the said sleeve. with the teeth 15 of the tension collar 16.

As this operation takes place, the crank shaft 33 will also be carried inwardly by means of the pin 34, which is adjacent the sleeve 10. As soon as the teeth 9 interlock with the teeth 8 of the engine shaft, the sleeve 10 and the collar 16 rotate together, and with the-engine shaft, until the necessary movement is imparted to the latter for starting purposes. As soon as this occurs, and the'power applied to the sleeve 10 for starting is released, the spring 37, acting on the crank shaft 33, will throw the latter to its outward limit of movement, and

the pins 34 of the crank shaft will engage the collar 40 of the clutch sleeve 10 and shift the latter sufficiently to disconnect the teeth 9 of the clutch sleeve from the teeth 8 of the engine shaft, after which the entire starting mechanism will remain stationary until occasion occurs to re-crank the engine.

Having thus described my invention,.

what I claim is:

1. In an engine starter, the combination with the engine shaft, having a clutch member formed on its outer extremity, of a cooperating clutch sleeve mounted and endwise movable on a stationary part of the frame, means" for rotating the said sleeve the end. of the sleeve adjacent the engine shaft having a clutch member adapted to interlock with the clutch member on the engine shaft, theopposite extremity of the sleeve being toothed, a tension collar also toothed to engage the last-named. teeth of the clutch sleeve, the said .collar being mounted to rotate after the clutch member of the sleeve is in cooperative engagel'nent with the corresponding clutch member of the engine shaft. r

2. In an engine starter, the combination with the engine shaft, having a clutch member formed on its outer extremity, of a clutch sleeve mounted adjacent the engine shaft and removable endwise; means for rotating said sleeve, one extremity of the sleeve being provided with a clutch member and the opposite extremity with a toothed memher, and a tension collar having teeth interlocking with the teeth of the clutch sleeve,

to shift the latter endwise, after which the collar rotates with the said. sleeve, for engine starting purposes.

3. An engine starter comprising, in combination with the engine shaft, having a clutch member formed on the outer extremity thereof, a clutch sleeve mounted to have both rotary and endwise movement to engage with the engine shaft and rotate the latter, the said sleeve also having a toothed extremity, a tension collar toothed to interlock with the teeth of the sleeve to impart endwise movement to the sleeve, the said collar being mounted to rotate with the sleeve as soon as the clutch member interlocks with'the engine shaft.

4. An engine starter including in-combination with the engine shaft, having a clutch member, an endwise movable sleeve equipped at one extremity to interlock with the clutch member, its outward extremity being toothed, means for rotating the said sleeve and a tension collar toothed to engage the toothed extremity of the sleeve'to shift the latter in an endwise direction until the sleeve interlocks with the clutch member of the shaft, after which the tension collar rotates in unison with the sleeve and engine shaft, substantially as described.

An engine starter including in combination with an engine shaft, two co6perat ing gears, means for rotating the said gears and connecting them in operative relation with the engine shaft one of said gears having a toothed section held in place against the other gear by means of leaf springs which are adapted to yield upon the bacle firing of the engine and permit the last named gear to rotate independently substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S; GRIGSBY.

Witnesses:

F. E. Bowen, CLARA E. BRADEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

